A look at gun laws proposed by California legislators

February 23, 2013, 1:21PM

02/23/2013

Lawmakers have introduced the following bills seeking further restrictions on guns and ammunition this year:

— AJR5, Assemblyman Jimmy Gomez, D-Los Angeles, is a resolution urging the president and Congress to pass U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein's legislation prohibiting the sale, transfer, importation and manufacturing of assault weapons and large-capacity magazines.

— AB48, Assemblywoman Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley, requires ammunition sellers to be licensed and ammunition buyers to have and show valid identification, similar to those covering gun sales. Sales of large amounts of ammunition to an individual buyer within a five-day period would have to be reported to local law enforcement agencies. Bans "clip kits" that can convert approved ammunition feeding device into large-capacity magazines, defined as a magazine that can hold more than 10 bullets.

— AB134, Assemblymen Dan Logue, R-Linda, and Allan Mansoor, R-Costa Mesa, bans counties from making public the telephone numbers and addresses of people holding or applying for concealed weapons permits. Authorities could still release the names of those who have a permit. The bill responds to a New York state newspaper's recent publishing of the names and addresses of legal gun owners.

— AB169, Assemblyman Roger Dickinson, D-Sacramento, prohibits peace officers and members of the military from selling handguns that are not on the Department of Justice's list of approved weapons to buyers who are not also peace officers and members of the military and thus are not eligible to own the handguns. A similar previous bill, AB2460, was vetoed by Gov. Jerry Brown last year. Both bills respond to a federal indictment charging two Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies with selling such weapons for a profit.

— AB170, Assemblyman Steven Bradford, D-Gardena, restricts permits for assault weapons and .50-caliber rifles to individuals. Current law allows permits to be held by corporations, associations, partnerships and limited liability companies. By law, the holders of the permits are not public record.

— AB174, Assemblyman Rob Bonta, D-Oakland, removes prior ownership, or "grandfather" clauses, from state laws prohibiting the possession of various weapons. Current law allows ownership of weapons that were possessed prior to the ban under certain conditions.

— AB232, Assemblyman Philip Ting, D-San Francisco, gives a state income-tax credit of up to $1,000 to anyone who turns in a firearm during a local gun buyback program. The amount of the credit would be determined based on the value of the weapon.

— AB500, Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, D-San Francisco, requires gun owners to safely store their guns when someone who lives in the home is prohibited from owning a weapon because of mental illness or a criminal record; allows for a seven-day extension on the current 10-day waiting period for weapons purchases if the state Department of Justice needs the extra time to complete a background check; requires dealers to notify the state Department of Justice when the buyer has taken possession of the weapon.

— AB740, Assemblyman Luis Alejo, D-Salinas, adds five misdemeanors to the list of crimes that result in a 10-year ban on owning firearms; clarifies that anyone dealing in five or more firearms transactions a year must have a license.

— AB760, Assemblyman Roger Dickinson, D-Sacramento, imposes a five-cent tax on bullet sales, with the money going to screen and treat young children for moderate mental illness.

— AB761, Assemblyman Roger Dickinson, D-Sacramento, requires the state employees' and teachers' pension systems to drop any investments in companies that manufacture, sell, distribute or market firearms or ammunition.

— AB1076, Assemblywoman Kristin Olsen, R-Modesto, requires that regularly used school classrooms and other widely used areas be equipped with panic buttons that trigger a campus-wide alarm and alert law enforcement to a campus emergency.

— AB1084, Assemblywoman Melissa Melendez, R-Lake Elsinore, repeals weakened penalties imposed under a 16-year-old law that sends lower-level criminals to county jails instead of state prisons; increases penalties for those who own firearms illegally and those who provide them with firearms.

— AB1264, Assembly Minority Leader Connie Conway, R-Tulare, requires that school safety plans include steps to safeguard pupils and staff from incidents involving firearms, explosives or other deadly weapons, and a way for teachers to notify authorities about students with potentially violent mental health issues.

— SB47, Sen. Leland Yee, D-San Francisco, prohibits the use of so-called bullet buttons and other devices that allow for swift reloading of military-style assault weapons.

— SB49, Sen. Ted Lieu, D-Torrance, requires public schools statewide to prepare and update their emergency response plans in case of an attack. A similar bill, SB755, died in committee last year.

— SB53, Sen. Kevin de Leon, D-Los Angeles, increases restrictions on purchasing ammunition by requiring buyers to get a permit, undergo a background check and pay a fee.

— SB108, Sen. Leland Yee, D-San Francisco, requires all guns to be properly stored with a trigger lock or in a lock box when the owner is not present. Current law requires owners to have a trigger lock or safety lock box but doesn't require the safety device to be used.

— SB140, Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento, and Sen. Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, lets the state Department of Justice use reserve funds to reduce a backlog in confiscating weapons from individuals who bought them legally but were later convicted of a crime, treated for mental illness or subjected to domestic violence court orders.

— SB293, Sen. Mark DeSaulnier, D-Concord, requires that handguns sold in California be protected with what are known as "owner-authorized" safety mechanisms, such as biometric readers or other technologies that mean the weapon can only be fired by the registered owner. The requirement would take effect 18 months after the state attorney general certifies that the new technology is available for retail sale.

— SB299, Sen. Mark DeSaulnier, D-Concord, requires that every person whose firearm is lost or stolen must notify local law enforcement within 48 hours of the time they knew, or reasonably should have known, that the firearm was lost or stolen.

Lawmakers have introduced the following bills seeking further restrictions on guns and ammunition this year:

— AJR5, Assemblyman Jimmy Gomez, D-Los Angeles, is a resolution urging the president and Congress to pass U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein's legislation prohibiting the sale, transfer, importation and manufacturing of assault weapons and large-capacity magazines.

— AB48, Assemblywoman Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley, requires ammunition sellers to be licensed and ammunition buyers to have and show valid identification, similar to those covering gun sales. Sales of large amounts of ammunition to an individual buyer within a five-day period would have to be reported to local law enforcement agencies. Bans "clip kits" that can convert approved ammunition feeding device into large-capacity magazines, defined as a magazine that can hold more than 10 bullets.

— AB134, Assemblymen Dan Logue, R-Linda, and Allan Mansoor, R-Costa Mesa, bans counties from making public the telephone numbers and addresses of people holding or applying for concealed weapons permits. Authorities could still release the names of those who have a permit. The bill responds to a New York state newspaper's recent publishing of the names and addresses of legal gun owners.

— AB169, Assemblyman Roger Dickinson, D-Sacramento, prohibits peace officers and members of the military from selling handguns that are not on the Department of Justice's list of approved weapons to buyers who are not also peace officers and members of the military and thus are not eligible to own the handguns. A similar previous bill, AB2460, was vetoed by Gov. Jerry Brown last year. Both bills respond to a federal indictment charging two Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies with selling such weapons for a profit.

— AB170, Assemblyman Steven Bradford, D-Gardena, restricts permits for assault weapons and .50-caliber rifles to individuals. Current law allows permits to be held by corporations, associations, partnerships and limited liability companies. By law, the holders of the permits are not public record.

— AB174, Assemblyman Rob Bonta, D-Oakland, removes prior ownership, or "grandfather" clauses, from state laws prohibiting the possession of various weapons. Current law allows ownership of weapons that were possessed prior to the ban under certain conditions.

— AB232, Assemblyman Philip Ting, D-San Francisco, gives a state income-tax credit of up to $1,000 to anyone who turns in a firearm during a local gun buyback program. The amount of the credit would be determined based on the value of the weapon.

— AB500, Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, D-San Francisco, requires gun owners to safely store their guns when someone who lives in the home is prohibited from owning a weapon because of mental illness or a criminal record; allows for a seven-day extension on the current 10-day waiting period for weapons purchases if the state Department of Justice needs the extra time to complete a background check; requires dealers to notify the state Department of Justice when the buyer has taken possession of the weapon.

— AB740, Assemblyman Luis Alejo, D-Salinas, adds five misdemeanors to the list of crimes that result in a 10-year ban on owning firearms; clarifies that anyone dealing in five or more firearms transactions a year must have a license.

— AB760, Assemblyman Roger Dickinson, D-Sacramento, imposes a five-cent tax on bullet sales, with the money going to screen and treat young children for moderate mental illness.

— AB761, Assemblyman Roger Dickinson, D-Sacramento, requires the state employees' and teachers' pension systems to drop any investments in companies that manufacture, sell, distribute or market firearms or ammunition.

— AB1076, Assemblywoman Kristin Olsen, R-Modesto, requires that regularly used school classrooms and other widely used areas be equipped with panic buttons that trigger a campus-wide alarm and alert law enforcement to a campus emergency.

— AB1084, Assemblywoman Melissa Melendez, R-Lake Elsinore, repeals weakened penalties imposed under a 16-year-old law that sends lower-level criminals to county jails instead of state prisons; increases penalties for those who own firearms illegally and those who provide them with firearms.

— AB1264, Assembly Minority Leader Connie Conway, R-Tulare, requires that school safety plans include steps to safeguard pupils and staff from incidents involving firearms, explosives or other deadly weapons, and a way for teachers to notify authorities about students with potentially violent mental health issues.

— SB47, Sen. Leland Yee, D-San Francisco, prohibits the use of so-called bullet buttons and other devices that allow for swift reloading of military-style assault weapons.

— SB49, Sen. Ted Lieu, D-Torrance, requires public schools statewide to prepare and update their emergency response plans in case of an attack. A similar bill, SB755, died in committee last year.

— SB53, Sen. Kevin de Leon, D-Los Angeles, increases restrictions on purchasing ammunition by requiring buyers to get a permit, undergo a background check and pay a fee.

— SB108, Sen. Leland Yee, D-San Francisco, requires all guns to be properly stored with a trigger lock or in a lock box when the owner is not present. Current law requires owners to have a trigger lock or safety lock box but doesn't require the safety device to be used.

— SB140, Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento, and Sen. Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, lets the state Department of Justice use reserve funds to reduce a backlog in confiscating weapons from individuals who bought them legally but were later convicted of a crime, treated for mental illness or subjected to domestic violence court orders.

— SB293, Sen. Mark DeSaulnier, D-Concord, requires that handguns sold in California be protected with what are known as "owner-authorized" safety mechanisms, such as biometric readers or other technologies that mean the weapon can only be fired by the registered owner. The requirement would take effect 18 months after the state attorney general certifies that the new technology is available for retail sale.

— SB299, Sen. Mark DeSaulnier, D-Concord, requires that every person whose firearm is lost or stolen must notify local law enforcement within 48 hours of the time they knew, or reasonably should have known, that the firearm was lost or stolen.

— SB316, Sen. Marty Block, D-San Diego, requires that all classrooms designed for five or more persons install devices that allow doors to lock from the inside.

— SB374, by Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento, bans the sale of semi-automatic rifles that accept detachable magazines and requires registration of all firearms.